Lyran Star Empire

The Lyran Star Empire is the official government of the Lyran species. Not much is known about it except that it is somewhat feudal, with many Lyran counts serving as rulers on other worlds. This also has the side effect of resulting in many internal conflicts within the empire. (TOS video game: Starfleet Command (game))

Each duchy is divided into five counties, four led by a count reporting to the duke, and one ruled directly by the duke. Officially, the majority of the Lyran fleet is built, maintained and operated by the dukes and counts, lending their support to the crown. As a matter of convenience, a significant number of navy personnel are conscripts from across the empire, and only senior officers/petty officers are from the 'home' territory. Even then, each ship normally has at least a few members of other counties and duchies, officially to encourage cooperation, but unofficially to provide 'hostages' to keep the various factions from attacking each other.

The power of the king is maintained by keeping the four (or more, depending on era) dukes in a state of constant rivalry, a state echoed at the duchy/county levels. Any gain in power by one faction will see other factions moving to balance the power, one way or another. An example of this was, when the Enemy's Blood Duchy was rising in power, one of its counties revolted. The crown tacitly (and with the less tacit support of two other dukes) allowed this county to become autonomous, weakening the powerful duke.

Federation records do not state when the Lyrans first expanded from their own worlds, but know more from their contacts with their neighbors. The first starfaring race the Lyrans met was the Klingon Empire in the mid-21st century. Both took hostile action and soon all-out war existed between the two nations. A couple of years later, while attempting to flank Klingon lines, they attacked what they thought was a Klingon mining colony, only to find the previously uncontacted Hydrans, starting a new war with them. A while later, in the late 21st century, the Hydran-Lyran war was enough of a drain resulting in an armistice with the Klingons on unfavorable terms. With the war with the Klingons over, the Hydran invasion was defeated in less than a year.

By 2385, though, the LDR was reunified with the Lyran Star Empire. This move almost doubled the size ot the LSE, from 21 counties in 2294, its size went to 41 in 2385. (RIS Bouteina: "Sphere of Influence")